Stern paddle-wheel propulsion mechanism for boats



R. ENSENAT April 25, 1933.

S IERN PADDLE WHEEL PROPULSION MECHANISM FOR BOATS Filed Dec. 26, 1931 IN VEN TOR. BY M 1 ATTORNEYS.

Patented Apr. 25, 1933 UNITED STATES PAT NTo -FICE more ENSENAT, or NEWARK, NEW JERSEY; EDWIN J; c. JOERG nxncnron or sun RAMON invsnner, DECEASED I STERN IPADDLE-WHEEL .TPRQPULSION MECHANISM FOR BOATS Application filed December 26, 1931; Serial No."-58 3,169

This invention relates particularly to improvements in propulsion mechanism for boats of the stern paddle-wheel type.

In this type of boat, it is desirable that the hull of the vessel be down at the bow, in other words, that the bow draw somewhat more water than the stern, it being generally recognized that navigation of the vessel under such conditions is easier, a V Some propulsion equipment for stern paddie-Wheel boats includes a prime mover or motor connected by shafts, cranks and con? necting rods to the paddle-Wheel, while, in other propulsion equipment, the motor is connected to the paddle-wheel by sprockets and chains. In both of these types of propelling mechanisms, severe working stresses and torques are placed upon the shafts, connecting rods and paddle-Wheels; and furthermore, the driving mechanism occupies a considerable space on the deck. These conditions are especially prevalent in large boats requiring for example 800 to 1,500 horsepower and speeds of from 15 to 25 revolutions per minute of the paddle-wheel. i

One object of my invention is to provide a novel and improved driving mechanism for stern paddle-wheels of the character described, whereby great power'r'equired for, propelling large boats maybe effectually transmitted from the engine to the paddlewheel with a minimum of parts and a minimum of strains or stresses on the connections between the engine and the paddle-wheel.

Another object is to provide novel and im proved driving mechanism for stern paddlewheel boats wherein the heavy portions of the equipment, for example, steam boilers, fuel tanks, and the like, may be placed at the bow of the boat, while the relatively lighter prime mover, for example, electric motor, steam turbine, and the like, and the gearing connecting the prime mover to the paddlewheel, can be easily arranged at the stern of the boat and shall occupy a small amount of space. The power may be transmitted to the prime movers, for example, steam from the boilers to a turbine through pipes, or electricity from generators driven by Diesel engines to an electric motor through wires,

whereby long shafts and complicatedtrains' of gears, links, etc.,.can be obviated.

Other objects are to provide a stern paddle-Wheel driving mechanism comprising a prime mover and a continuous train of gears connectedbetween the prime mover and the paddle-wheel and, mounted in a novel and.

improved manner on the hull of the boat,

whereby torques and strains on the driving mechanism and thelpaddle-wheel shall be reduced to a minimum; to utilize in such driving mechanism a plurality of shafts all arranged with their axes parallel to each other and to the shaft of the paddle-wheel; and-toj'obtain other advantages and results as will be brought out by thefollowing de- 7 scription.

Referring to the accompanying drawing,

in which corresponding and like parts are.

the same reference characters,

designated throughout the several views section, of the stern of a boat employing a driving mechanism that embodies my inven;

tion; 7 y 1 a I Figure 2 is a horizontal sectional view, taken on the line 22 of Figure 1, and

Figure 3 is an enlarged vertical sectional view, on the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Specifically describing the illustrated embodiment of the invention, the reference character 1 designates the hull of a shallow draft boat such as is widely used in river service. Mounted at the stern of the boat on a suitable framework 2, is aipair of elec- 7 These motors are shown as arranged with" tric motors 3 which maybe drivenby electric their shafts in axial alinement. and con'-,

nected through shaft couplings 40 to a studshaft 41 on which is mounted a driving pinion- 5 at substantially the longitudinal median line of the boat.) The shafts 4 are j'ournaled in suitable bearings 6 mounted on beam 7 whichextend longitudinally of theboat in substantially spaced and parallel relation and project beyond the stern of the hull. As shown, there are four beams, one at each side of the hull, and two in close relation to each other at the opposite sides of the longitudinal medianline of theboat.

On the projecting ends of thebeams-T in bearings 19 is iournaled a shaft 8--having twnvpaddleewheel,sectionsfi mountedthereon 10 each's'ect'ion between one side beamTandfthe next adjacent central beam 10. Upon this shaft 8 between, the two; central beams l0-1S- mounted a gear 11. This gear 11 is connected by a train of intermeshing gears:12,,13,.14 and to the driving pinion 5,, said gears 12 to 15', inclusive, being mounted on: counter shafts 16 journaled' inbearings- 17 onthe central beams 10 and. with their axes substantially parallehtoi each other; & Preferably-thepinion 5;, gears 19 to 15", incl'nsive, and the paddle-wheel gear 11 are en closed in awater-tight casing 18" whichcon tainsa quantityof oil, so-that the gears areconstantly bathed? in oil and} water ex- Z1-Cll1ded fTO1n"(30111391613With the gears;

The operation of my driving mechanism".

will be understood from the foregoing:

When the motors or othenprime movers 3- are started", poweristransmitted through-the ;;pinion 5, and gears 1' 15to- 15', inclusive, t0, the

paddle-wheel shaft 8 so as-to drive the latter. The pinion 5 preferably has a speedreducingrati0 to the gears 12"to115-, inclusive, and also there is a speed reclucing rela-- *Ition between the intermediate gears and the paddle-wheel gear 11, so that thespeedi ofi rotation of the" paddle-wheel is considerably le ssthan-thespeed of the prime-mover-sha-f:t-'.. Of'course, the prime movers 3 maybe rever= ifsibleas is customary, or other reversing gears may'be used; Great power may betransmitted from theprimemoversto the paddle wheel" with aminiimlm ofstrai'nsandstresses on the driving; connections, and the driving I-I mechanismis smooth-running with no sudden shocks imposed upon the paddle wheel's as occurs inknown drivingmechanisms includingconnectingrods, chains, and the like;

There are no long shaftstobesubjectedto torque, and the driving' mechanism can be compactly arranged at the stern of" theboat and occupy'a: minimum of space, while-the electrical orsteam generating apparatus can be arranged at the bow of: theboat.

While lhave shown and described the-now preferred embodiment of my invention, it should be understood that this is primarily forthepurpose ofillustrating--the=principles of-the invention, andthat the detail's of' con- 'struction of the driving mechanismmay; bemodified? and changed by those sl'rill'ed in the art without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention; While I 'have shown two: prime movers, obviously one or morefifii than twoprime movers might beutilized,

and any suitable type of prime mover is comtemplated by me. Furthermore, it should be understood that I have shown the mechanism schematically, and that any suitable details of structure may be adopted.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is 1'. The combination with the hull of a ship of, a=beam at each sidetheneofandrtvno beams each, at, one side of the longitudinal median line of the hull, all of said beams extending: longitudinally of the hull and projecting from one end thereof, a paddlewheel: shaftj'ournaled; on the projecting ends of said beams transversely of said hull and having apaddle wheel thereon, a prime movermounted on'said hull and having a shaft journaled parallel to said paddle wheel shaft, and atrain of" gears j'ournale'd on the second-mentioned two beams and located therebetween connecting said prime mover shaft" to said paddle-wheel shaftz' 2': The combination with the hullf of as beams and connected to said: prime mover shaft, and a train of intermeshing gears journaled on and located between the second-mentioned beams and connecting said pinion on the prime mover shaft to said gear on the paddle-wheel shaft.

' RAMONi EN'SEN-AT. I 

